Can you really call it bouldering if you leave the house late and miss low tide? If you miss the first turn that would have shortened the drive by 20 minutes? How about the second turn into the parking area?

Can you still call it bouldering if you take the short hike down to the water’s edge and find most of the problems being lapped by the incoming waves? What if you only climb one V1 problem before the setting sun turns you into a spectator instead of the actor?

Is it bouldering if you spent more time playing with your dog in the surf then climbing? And talking with your girlfriend who was taking endless photos of the dog, the surf, and the sunset?

Is it still bouldering after dark, when you lazily drive into town and find the best cafe there? With all you can eat pasta and salad, cold beer, and live surf music? Finish the dinner admiring the artwork on the wall – she likes the one of the traffic jam, you like the painting of the golden wave – over a slice of the best chocolate cake in years, the icing perfectly complementing the cake without being overdone and perfectly in step with a pint of stout?

Can it be bouldering as you drive back home, this time making all the right turns, the inside of the car still smelling of the ocean because of the wet dog in the back, finally opening the door in the dark?